Acquitted Of Threatening Police

Press, Issue 31095, 25 June 1966, Page 16

Acquitted Of Threatening Police

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, June 24. A jury in the Supreme Court at Auckland tonight acouited Sydney James Briggs, aged 30, a workman, of two charges of threatening grievous bodily harm to police officers. Briggs, who represented by Mr P. A. Williams, was discharged by Mr Justice Henry, Mr C. M. Nicholson appeared for the Crown. Briggs pleaded not guilty to charges that on April 21 this year he threatened to do grievous bodily harm to two police officers—William Henry Raynes and Cyril Loos Batten. Rena Uruhina Bennett, who Mved next door to the accused at Kelston, said that between 730 and 8 p.m. on April 21 the accused's wife came to her door. She looked frightened and came inside.

About half an hour later the accused came tn the door. •‘He asked if Mrs Briggs was at my place. I said no,” said witness.

. Accused had a gun. “I asked him what he was doing with the gun. I said was he going hunting. He said there was only one person he was going hunting and that was his wife.” The police were called. Cyril Loos Batten, a police constable, said he and two other policemen were called to the house. Sergeant Raynes found the back door was locked. He knocked and a voice called: “Who is it?” Sergeant Raynes said: “We are the police. Open the door. “With that I heard the voice from inside say: *The first one who comes through this door gets a bullet in the guts.’ ” Batten said that at the same time he heard the bolt of a rifle being opened and shut. Witness said he told the sergeant: “Do you hear that? He sound fair dinkum. It's time we weren’t here." The constable said he ran to the patrol car and called the central police station. Fifteen minutes later the

armed offenders’ squad arrived, said witness. Accused came out carrying a rifle. A child was walking in front of I huh.

Accused was later taken to the police station. To Mr Williams the witness said that when the accused was searched at the police station he had no ammunition. On arrival at the watchhouse he mentioned that he had a very sore leg. He was taken to the Auckland Hospital, where he was treated for a fracture of his left lower leg. William Henry Raynes, a police sergeant, said he asked accused to open the door. Accused came and stood near the doorway with a rifle. Accused made a remark as he opened and close the bolt of the rifle. Witness said he backed away. “The defendant later came out of the door with his two-year-old daughter. He was carrying a suitcase and a rifle. I saw them come down the steps and they walked towards the defendant’s car, which was parked in the right of way,” said Raynes.

Witness said he saw members of the armed offenders squad in the shadows creeping towards the car. He heard the opening and closing of car doors and the sound of a scuffle. Then he saw the car roll over a bank.

He heard the screaming of a child inside the car. The girl was removeu from it. An extensive search was made for ammunition but none was found.

Raymond East, a police sergeant, said he and Detective Inspector Perry drew their revolvers and crawled across to accused’s van.

“When Detective I-spector Perry and I reached the van Mr Perry leaped to his feet and pulled open the door,” said East. “I heard the defendant say: ’Get away or I’ll shoot.’ i “Mr Perry then grabbed hold of the defendant and endeavoured to pull him from the van,” said witness. Defendant and Mr Perry fell to the ground. The police had difficulty getting him free of the van. When accused came free he struggled violently. The van started to roll forward and witness could not get to it to apply the handbrake. Witness said that when he took possession of the rifle there was no ammunition in it. j Accused said in evidence I that he had visited a hotel

and then a friend’s place before going home. When he got home he had a difference of opinion with his wife. He did not threaten his wife with the gun. He said his wife left the house and he went to find where she was.

Accused denied telling a previous witness he was hunting his wife. He said his intentions were to get his daughter dressed and leave. “I did not have any intention of shooting anyone with the gun,” he said. “I never had any ammunition.”

He denied threatening the police. “I finished my packing, got my daughter dressed and we advanced to the car,” he said. He put the suitcases and his daughter in the van, he said.

He got into the car. It bad started to roll when the driver’s door was flung open and he was dragged out. “I tried to hold on. There were too many for me and I was dragged out and flung to the ground. I had fists come lat me, I had knees come at me and someone jumped on jmy ankle,” said Briggs.